2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Boehrer
Of German origin, an occupational surname for a maker of bores or drills.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Boehrer. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boehrer surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Boehrer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boehrer, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boehrer
The surname Boehrer has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the late 15th century. It is derived from the German word "Bohrer," which means "drill" or "borer," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade involving drilling or boring.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boehrer can be found in a document from the town of Heilbronn, located in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, dated 1487. This document mentions a certain Hans Boehrer, who was likely a tradesman or artisan involved in drilling or boring activities.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Boehrer began to spread across various regions of Germany, with records indicating families bearing this name in places like Saxony, Bavaria, and the Rhineland. It is possible that some of these families were involved in the mining or metalworking industries, where drilling and boring tools were essential.
In the 18th century, the surname Boehrer appeared in several historical records, including church registers and tax rolls. One notable individual bearing this name was Johann Michael Boehrer, born in 1732 in the town of Gochsheim, Bavaria. He was a skilled craftsman and is recorded as having produced intricate woodcarvings for local churches and noble residences.
As the 19th century dawned, the Boehrer surname continued to be found throughout Germany, with some families emigrating to other parts of Europe and North America. One prominent figure from this period was Karl Boehrer (1832-1912), a German-born engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and industrial machinery.
Another noteworthy individual was Anna Boehrer (1858-1932), a German-American educator and suffragist who played an active role in advocating for women's rights and educational reforms in the United States.
In the early 20th century, the name Boehrer appeared in various historical records, including military records from World War I. One such individual was Friedrich Boehrer (1892-1965), a German soldier who served in the Imperial German Army and later became a respected writer and historian.
Throughout its history, the surname Boehrer has been associated with a range of professions and trades, from skilled artisans and craftsmen to engineers, educators, and writers. While its origins can be traced back to the German word for "drill" or "borer," the name has taken on a broader significance, representing the rich cultural heritage and diverse contributions of those who have borne it over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boehrer
Among Census respondents with the surname Boehrer, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Boehrer bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Boehrer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 93
- Two or more races5.8% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boehrer
Boehrer appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,589 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-16 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 13,589 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 14,362 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Boehrer surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #139,228 | #153,590 | -10.3% |
| Count | 120 | 104 | -13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boehrer bearers went from 120 to 104 (-13.3% change). The surname moved down 14,362 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #153,590.
FAQ
Boehrer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boehrer?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Boehrer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Boehrer?
Boehrer ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Boehrer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Boehrer.
Has Boehrer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boehrer went from 120 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Boehrer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boehrer, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Boehrer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boehrer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Hispanic (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Boehrer (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Boehrer mean?
Of German origin, an occupational surname for a maker of bores or drills. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Boehrer (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Boehrer?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Boehrer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.